International Buy a Priest a Beer Day Date in the current year: September 9, 2026

Beer has a surprisingly long history of connection with the Catholic Church. Catholicism does not view alcohol as inherently sinful. Rather, it is considered a gift from God to be enjoyed in moderation and not abused. Monks, particularly Benedictines and Trappists, have brewed beer for centuries to sustain themselves during fasts, provide safe drinking water, and offer hospitality to travelers. Eleven Trappist monasteries in six countries still produce beer, lauded for its high quality and flavor.

The Catholic Church also has patron saints of beer and brewing, including Saint Arnulf of Metz and Saint Arnold of Soissons. The latter is the patron saint of Belgian brewers and hop pickers. Both saints are traditionally portrayed with a mashing rake, making their patronage easy to identify. Additionally, the traditional Roman Ritual includes an official blessing of beer, called the Benedictio Cerevisiae.

In 2013, the recently founded blog The Catholic Gentleman came up with the idea for International Buy a Priest a Beer Day. Although it is not an official holiday, the blog’s authors argue that it should be. They encourage faithful Catholics to take their priests out for a beer on September 9 to get to know them better as people who enjoy socializing over a pint as much as their parishioners do.

In several blog posts, The Catholic Gentleman humorously connects International Buy a Priest a Beer Day to Saint Hopswald of Aleyard, referring to him as “the first man to buy his priest a beer.” According to legend, Hopswald was a Teutonic master brewer who was converted from paganism to Christianity by a zealous Catholic priest. One day, Hopswald committed a grievous sin and promptly confessed it to his priest. Overwhelmed with gratitude for his priest’s ministry later that day, Hopswald returned to the rectory and bought his priest a beer.

The Catholic Gentleman admits that this legend is pure fiction. There is no Saint Hopswald, nor is there a real backstory behind International Buy a Priest a Beer Day beyond “the blog’s authors came up with it.” However, the sentiment behind this humorous holiday is real. Clergy deserve appreciation from their parishioners and deserve to be seen as real people, not just extensions of the church. They are people who can joke and laugh and enjoy a beer, and who have demanding and often thankless jobs.

International Buy a Priest a Beer Day may be considered a spiritual successor to Theology on Tap events, which are sponsored by Catholic dioceses in at least eight countries, including Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, the Philippines, Taiwan, and the United States. These events, started in 1981, are lectures and conversations on religion and theology held at venues such as local pubs, bars, and restaurants.